No one can lighten the mood quite like Donald Duck can. The world may be on the brink of destruction, and the boundaries of reality blurred across the time-space continuum, but with a single quack and a well-timed waggle of that feathery tail, it's all forgotten. And therein lies the reason for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance's success. For all of its saccharine melodrama, hammy voice acting, and nigh on impenetrable plot points, those little touches of Disney magic--coupled with some fast-paced combat--make this grandiose action role-playing game an endearing and entertaining adventure.

Of course, if you're not a fan of Mickey Mouse and his well-known entourage, then chances are a lot of that Disney charm will be lost on you. Likewise, if you've never played a Kingdom Hearts game before, then the already complex narrative becomes an impenetrable fortress of intertwining plot points. The game does its best to fill you in on the details via a series of flashbacks and essay-like recaps of past games, but with six games and six sprawling narratives to make sense of, only the most hardened of fans are likely to follow it all.

Be prepared to spend most of the game confused then. Sora, a spiky-haired teenager, teams up with Riku, a spiky-haired teenager, to take the Mark of Mastery exam--a test that will turn the pair from mere amateur adventurers into full-blown keyblade masters powerful enough to take on long-serving villain Master Xehanort. You play as both characters throughout the adventure, switching between them in timed intervals known as drops. It's a strange idea, and in practice it's disconcerting to be in the middle of a quest, only to be dragged out of it into an entirely separate one, often forgetting what on earth it is you're supposed to be doing. You can increase the length of your drop with buffs or by fighting enemies, but even then it's only by seconds. It doesn't help that as Sora and Riku are sent to alternate realities of worlds previously destroyed by the villainous Heartless, there's a lot of backtracking and repetition.

Naturally, the Mark of Mastery exam doesn't quite go according to plan, and the pair soon find themselves tangled up in yet another villain's dastardly plot to rule over the world of Kingdom Hearts. Cue nonstop blurry flashbacks, wavy visions of the future, and dialogue worthy of the campiest of B movies, and you've got yourself a plot. To go deeper would be to give too much away, but suffice it to say, it's an ambitious, almost Inception-like tale that gets very complicated very quickly--and not always for the right reasons. You're left in the dark for so long, and characters do so little to explain things throughout your adventure, that when the big reveal comes, you're as confused as you were before--perhaps even more so.

Such complications do little to help you connect with the characters, but they are, on the whole, a likeable bunch of well-meaning, if slightly whiny, teenagers. Well, except for the guy who insists on adding "yo" to the end of every sentence--you'll want to punch him in the face within five seconds of meeting him. Thankfully, he plays only a small part in the proceedings, and it's not long before you leave the first world of Traverse Town to meet the real stars of the show.

They are, of course, the Disney characters. The worlds you visit are themed around familiar and beautifully re-created Disney films, and include classics like Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Fantasia, as well as the modern setting of Tron. Within them live the stars of those films, with problems (usually those from the film's plot) that need solving. Whether it's facing off against CLU in the neon surroundings of the Grid or rescuing the ever-beautiful Esmeralda from the fires of Notre Dame, each mission is a nostalgic joy to play through. They're accompanied by some stellar music too, with the pounding strings of Fantasia's The Sorcerer's Apprentice making for one of the most surreal but supremely satisfying pieces of music to do battle to.

And boy is there a lot of battling to be done. Each world is filled with a cavalcade of exotic and insanely cute enemies known as dream eaters that appear randomly as you explore. Some are shaped like lizards that breathe fire; others are shaped like rhinos and dinosaurs that make up for their slowness with devastating physical attacks; while others still are off-the-wall creatures with a penchant for slamming a hefty dose of magic in your face.

They make for a diverse and challenging assortment enemies to battle, particularly when there's a whole lot of them and just one of you. To beat such firepower, you have a bunch of moves at your disposal, ranging from simple physical attacks, through to magic spells and garish combos that are acquired from shops and treasure chests. Each is equipped to a slot in your command deck, and and with a limited number of slots to fill, picking and choosing the right moves is an exercise in strategy.

There's also flowmotion to consider, which lets you bounce off walls and zip around the 3D environment at a frightening pace. Not only is this useful for avoiding attacks, but it also lets you unleash special combos in midair, which don't require a charging period like spells do--the accompanying neon visual flourishes are a treat too. In fact, so good are these combos that a lot of the time it's easy to win battles just by spamming them and not even touching your magic attacks. Only in later, more difficult battles do the other moves really come into play, which is a shame given the variety on offer. While that may be disappointing, flowmotion makes for some super-fast-paced battles as you swoop around the screen in a flash dodging enemy attacks and launching your own.

You're not totally unsupported in battle either, even if you directly control only Sora or Riku. You can create your very own version of dream eaters to fight alongside you by collecting dream pieces from downed enemies, treasure chests, or shops located beside save points. There are recipes to collect too, or you can just randomly combine ingredients and hope for the best. Even if you have a recipe to work from, adjusting the amount of ingredients results in a different outcome, whether that's a higher experience level or different buffs for your character, such as increased strength and magic resistance. It's a neat bit of strategic management that requires some forward planning, lest you use all your ingredients at once and miss out on some killer dream eaters later.

Companions are useful, attacking enemies and healing you, but they do need a bit of love from time to time. A management screen lets you stroke and prod your critters, increasing their affinity with you. This provides different buffs and also rewards you with adorable animations as they leap toward you and lick the screen in appreciation. Their standard skill trees are less visually rewarding but are just as important for making sure your party is ready for battle. Points that you earn during battles can be spent on your critters to unlock new spells and attacks, which prove extremely valuable during later, more difficult battles.

That's especially true for boss battles, which range from the outrageously easy to the excruciatingly difficult. Sometimes, all you need to do is to grind up a few levels. Other times, frustration comes from cheap, one-hit kill moves that bosses spam at you ad nauseam. Aside from hurling your 3DS across the room in a fit of rage, there's little else you can do but plough through it and hopefully luck out and dodge your way to victory. Frantic battles also highlight how awkward it is to switch between spells using the D-pad. If all that stands between you and victory is a quick heal, then having to perform a finger-twisting contortion with your right hand while your left tries desperately to dodge attacks with the circle pad is a hellish experience. The Circle Pad Pro is supported, but this does little more than let you move the camera up and down, rather than side-to-side using the shoulder buttons.

While battling and spending some quality time with the Disney crew make up the bulk of your journey, minigames crop up along the way too. Visit a new world for the first time, and you dive through a vortex of collectible stars and destructible enemies in a fun, on-rails-style shooting section. Enter the Grid in Tron, and you race around on light cycles and hack into enemy turrets by swiping down on the touch screen and highlighting jumbled words to form a command. It's all beautifully done, and breaks up the nonstop action nicely, particularly as Kingdom Hearts 3D offers little in the way of exploration. Most of the time you're ferried along a linear path, and considering the wonderfully animated environments, that's a bit of downer. And don't expect much in the way of side quests either, outside of a card collecting game you can play at certain locations.

Such limitations take the shine off Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, particularly when coupled with the labyrinth-like narrative and frustrating boss battles. But just as the Disney characters make you forget the troubles of the world of Kingdom Hearts, so too do they distract from the game's flaws. It's such a delightful experience to visit those classic Disney films and interact with their many loveable characters that you spend more time laughing at them than you do screaming at your 3DS in frustration. No, Disney isn't for everyone, but unless you're laden with a heart of stone, it's hard not to be taken in by Kingdom Hearts 3D's many charms.

More GameSpot Reviews

Review of the story leaves much, much to be desired. Otherwise, not a bad review. I definitely think there should have been more sidequests, and the worlds are nicely detailed. Combat is the most difficult in the series, and Dream Eaters are great party members.

When I first started playing this game, I didn't really like it very much. After a while it grew on me, but the problems that kept me from liking it still bother me. The lack of NPCs is what bothers me the most. There were maybe three NPCs in the whole game, and they never stayed there... the worlds just feel so empty. Some times I watch the flashbacks just to remind myself that there are characters other than Sora and Riku.

The other thing was just that I thought Sora had all the "best" locations in the worlds. Sora gets to have fun at the circus, while Riku is doomed to forever wander inside Monstro. Sora gets to travel all across the Country of the Musketeers, while Riku is locked in the Opera house for all eternity with no hope of ever getting to see what lies beyond that gate. It just seems a little unfair to me.

Buuut I really like the Dream Eaters. I really miss having Disney or Final Fantasy party members... but I also miss having Disney or Final Fantasy NPCs. So yeah. I do love having Dream Eater party members, because it's pretty much creating your own party members. So I guess it's like a step forward to party member customization? I love going to stats and seeing My Woeflower, Agitha's name right with Riku's, as if she's just as important as he is, pfft.

So. I've really grown to love this game, but I feel... really lonely when I play it. Because of the lack of NPCs, it's like Sora/Riku and the dream eaters are the only things that exist in these big empty dream worlds. There's... no interaction. With anything. Ever. ...Other than the dream eaters.

Sorry for the long comment, this is just what I have to say about the game.

funny how people can't make sense out of the story. its really not that complicated but i guess maybe people just haven't played all the games or haven't even watched a walk through. as for the boss' i don't get that either it just takes a little thinking, heck i beat this game on proud mode and didn't die at all. this review is weird to me but i guess i have no choice but to respect his opinion as it is

I've just started the game, and maybe it'll get better when I carry on, but so far, my biggest gripe is the Spirit interaction system. Now, I like the spirit system itself, but I hate the way you deal with them in the menu. To feed them, you throw the food, and wait for them to eat it. Or should I say, wait for them to eventually waddle their way towards it while they flitter too-and-fro. And don't get me started with painting them. Keep the @#$% still, you @#$%ing bat, so I can paint something other than your wing.

The only character in the game with terrible voice acting was Sora. xD Man, I love KH and the whole series, but there are times where Sora's paralyzingly obvious comments and realizations just hurt to watch. Good thing Riku, in my opinion, had sensible quips/dialogue. =)

I've already put a review up for this game, but I want to comment on the review since everyone else has. I agree with all of 'The Good' and I agree with the "Little in the way of exploration or side quests". Sort of agree with "Horribly confusing storyline", but that's only if I over think things, and "Awkward spell-switching controls"... yeah... I know what he means, it can be difficult on occasion.

But I don't agree with "Mickey and Donald are an amusing double act", you just don't see them enough. "Frustrating boss battles", the boss fights can be frustrating, but are easy once you figure them out.

Will admit switching spells is confusing. would have liked it if you could just press the L-button and there would be a shortcut list like in previous games. Also, I wish you could use items from the start menu. Those are my major qualms, but if Sora falls to the darkness I cry and scream. I love the amount of spells and the awesome abilities you can get. Great game. Took away the RPG elements with clothing, but gave them back in abilities.

If you actually cared about the series, you'd know the handheld games have been not only adding to the plot, but progressing it. This game in particular pushes the story a huge step forward. They have been expanding the story so that KH3 has a very large point, making them far from pointless. They've taken the story further, that is their purpose, not to make money.

If you don't care about the series, then you have no right to badger Square Enix to make a game for a series you clearly aren't interested in. So back off.

Actually, either way, back off. People like you really need to learn patience.

@DaxtersSidekick@Bayonetta2013 I do care about the series to a degree, thank you very much (I wasn't aware that you knew everything about me...you must be psychic!). These spin-offs add little to the story, and are only delaying a game fans have been asking for years now. Birth By Sleep was interesting, but now it's just gotten ridiculous. If I didn't have any interest in this series, smartass, then I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't bother rating any of the KH games or pouring hours into KH2. So, in actuality, YOU don't have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do, or whether I care about this series.

Snubbing someone because they made a small, sarcastic comment only shows you clearly had no other point in replying other than to defend Square Enix (Final Fantasy fan here for ten years, bud) mindlessly and making assumptions about someone you don't know.

@Kocelot I've played it. Completely disagree. I clocked 40+ hours into it and counting since completion. (I was playing it on Proud mode, granted)

Yes it's an Action RPG. It has a level system, party members you can train and abilities. There are many stats and collectables. What difference is there from the other games? It's as RPG as the rest.

You get the monster spawns in every Kingdom Hearts game. If anything, this is an improvement thanks to flowmotion. You don't want to fight? Don't fight.

And as for the Disney charm, what's the big deal? This game tells a more serious story, a direction I believe the series has needed to take for some time now. It's still there.

In regards to the review, it sucks. Yes, it's my opinion, but here's why:

The story is complex, we can all agree on that. But it wasn't that hard to follow. The basic outline was easy enough and having both the glossary and the chronicles feature was a huge help. It may be dense at times but "horribly confusing" is pushing it.

"Frustrating boss battles". Uh, isn't that the point of boss battles? If it's frustrating, you either need a new strategy or you need to get stronger. C'mon even the instruction manual had tips for the bosses difficulty.

The side quests part makes no sense. Why is this a bad thing? We still have flick rush, the dive levels, link portals and Dream Eaters in general. (Gotta catch/raise em all)

Hammy voice acting comes and goes, but I never saw any really bad examples of this.

Some of this stuff was just incorrect. They were neither flashbacks nor visions of the future, they were dreams. The game is very clear on this. Plus, the plot isn't centered around that one scene. There's more to it than this guy gives it credit for. And sometimes it seems like he's just making fun of it. Why diss the characters of TWEWY? (A cameo that was either lost or ignored on him.)The skater thing is a part of his charm. How would you like it if I made fun of the way you talk? It's part of characterization. Look it up. What kind of a review is this?

And finally the awkward spell switching which is in reference to a system used in Birth by Sleep. And in each case, it is neither confusing nor awkward so long as you know what you're doing.

And you'd be surprised. Many people claim to be "fans" even though they've ignored the series since KH2 on the basis that games they haven't played aren't important to the story. Cause, you know, they would know right? It's an ignorance that's far too common and a personal pet peeve of mine.

Anyway, good to hear you're not among that rabble. Despite that, your original comment still ignores the importance the handheld games have. Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance have nearly the same level of importance as a numbered title, if not as much. You shrug them off as money-makers, which devalues their significant importance. Why wouldn't I assume you didn't care about the series? It sounded like you hadn't even played them. Besides, Square Enix never gave us an indication that Kingdom Hearts III was on the way until recently. In fact, they announced the first three handheld games soon after KH2 and yet people still expected KH3 during their releases for whatever reason. People shouldn't have expected much.

Lastly, what you say and do defines what you think. Even if you do care about the series, remarks like that give another impression.With such a dry sense of humour it shouldn't be a surprise that I thought you didn't mean well. Or did you? If you didn't, my defense of Square Enix is totally justified.

@Gelugon_baat I'm actually reasoning with you, trying to get you to realise that this is pointless. Of course, you're just a troll so I'm not getting far due to your arrogant, self-righteous and stubborn drive to behave like this anyway.

A different opinion? Some of his points were opinions. Others were downright lies. I responded to both and then gave my opinion of his opinion. I was mocking it, not arguing with it.

@Gelugon_baat No, it's your problem because you're deliberately trying to insult us. You are a troll after all. You set out to get agressive responses with deliberately ignorant or immature comments. You really are quite a hypocrite.

And while I am annoyed/irritated by it, what makes you think this review upsets me?

Heh, hope you're satisfied. You're a very unkind person. I'm sure you're aware of that. Have fun being a burden to society.

Well like you, I'm not trying to change these opinions. I disagree with them, so I'll argue against them to justify my views. Why? Various reasons, not many of any real value. Fun, boredom, conflict but mostly because I care about the series and I like to talk about it. I'm sure these reasons aren't good enough for you, but that cuts both ways because while my reasons for being here are questionable, yours are downright wrong.

@Gelugon_baat Meh. That was a spur of the moment thing. I apologise for getting carried away.

At least I can be proud in that I justified my own opinion in countering this reviewer's. It's an endless cycle of disagreement in the end. I'm not that bothered about the review anymore. As I already said, it's pretty incorrect anyway. At least it could be worse.

The reason I make such a big deal of this is I saw many points where the review was incorrect or unfair. I wanted to raise my voice to the issues with it but unfortunately, Gelugon_baat has missed the point.

@Gelugon_baat Yeah right. You're nothing but a liar. I know now that the only reason you are here is to pick on fans of a series you clearly don't care about. You click on videos related to it anyway, look for fans spreading their opinions and views and then impose yours on them.

It's pointless and a waste, but you still insist on picking on guys like us just for entertainment. You have nothing to defend so you just attack us for defending the stuff we care about. You assault fans for being fans. You look down on us for being ourselves.

Of course fans are going to defend their series, but we almost have a right to as fans, (and simply calling out this reviewer on a terrible review) while you have no right to shove your opinions on us for doing so. We are equal, we all have our own views and die-hard fans will ignore glaring flaws because they are that far devoted to their cause. I may not agree with that but unlike you, I know there's no point in trying to change that.

You will never change that. We will always disagree. Your attempts to turn our points of view around or insult our support to the series we love will rightfully fall on deaf ears as you cannot change people just because you disagree with them. It's hopeless.

So once and for all, give up. You won't accomplish anything. Nobody is going to accept your point of view and turn their back on what we happily endorse in. It's how we are. You can try to turn this conversation towards me if you wish, but that won't change the fact that you have no reason to be here.

And because I expect you'll ignore me otherwise, I'll say it once again.

@Gelugon_baat I keep recieving notifications about you. Why are you still here? Are you really this sad that you have to continue to mindlessly bash a good series and it's fans (me included) for no understandable reason? Do you actually have nothing better to do?

anyways, I thought Gamespot gave this game a fair score. 7.0 is not amazing, nor is it bad, KH fans.

I LIKED the game, but it was not as memorable as the first KH games. This is one of those games that you are in love with for the first playthrough, then you notice that it wasnt that great afterwards.

@Gelugon_baat they are more generous? they give separate scores for certain aspects and give reasons why >.> just like DaxtersSidekick did but you're too focused on brown nosing gamespot, all im trying to get at is some of this reviewers points are stupid I played this game on proud and the bosses were easy the only way he would have trouble is if he tried to get through the game without fighting enemies which you have to do in an RPG also to Kocelot pretty sure most Japanese RPG's have fights every few seconds Final Fantasy is a prime example not to mention you bought the game for this reason what youd rather the whole game be just a cut scene?

@Gelugon_baat just gonna say im not a fan in any way of portable kingdom hearts games I actually despise them ¬.¬ im not trying to say the game is good I just pointed out that this reviewer gave poor excuses he could have said anything from the fact that the drop system was pointlessly put in there, worlds were far too short, the only one I agree with that he has put is awkward spell switching and like someone else said the story is not in anyway hard to understand plus there's a journal to tell you the story a bit more clearly which is mentioned constantly throughout the game.

so there I am in no way a fan boy unlike gamespot who give great reviews to repetitive series like COD and battlefield but yet hate dynasty/samurai warriors for the same reason =S and also give Metal gear solid 4 a 10 which in no way does anyone think its the best of the series, its because of people like gamespot we keep getting games like COD and Battlefield with nothing new in them I would say fair enough if there was but there aint